WHEN THE LORD PASSED BY
Sometimes everything slows down—when heaven draws near and time itself seems to hold its breath. One of those moments is found in Exodus 34:6-7, when the Lord passed by Moses and proclaimed His own name.
Moses had asked to see the glory of God. Not the works of God. Not merely the power of God. The glory. And what did God reveal? Not first thunder. Not first fire. Not first judgment. He proclaimed His character.
The Lord declared Himself merciful and gracious, patient and overflowing with covenant love and faithfulness; forgiving iniquity, transgression, and sin—yet not sweeping guilt into the shadows as though holiness were negotiable. Mercy and justice flowed together in one divine proclamation.
We tend to separate what God has joined. Some cling to mercy and silence justice. Others scream justice and forget mercy. But when the Lord passed by, He declared both without apology. He is patient—yet holy. He forgives—yet does not excuse rebellion. He is compassionate—yet not indifferent to evil.
Cheap grace is not born in heaven; it is born in human imagination. The God who forgives iniquity also confronts it. The God who keeps mercy for thousands also refuses to clear the guilty without atonement. That tension finds its answer at the cross—where justice was satisfied and grace was poured out without measure.
When the Lord passed by Moses, He hid him in the cleft of the rock. When the Lord passed by us in Christ, He became the Rock Himself—bearing wrath so that mercy might reach us without compromising righteousness.
We must not preach a God of preference; we must proclaim the God who revealed Himself.
If we would see His glory today, we will find it as Moses did—low before Him, dependent upon Him, trembling yet trusting. For the Lord still passes by—not to entertain, but to reveal; not to flatter, but to purify; not merely to soothe, but to sanctify.
May we bow when He proclaims His name.
May we receive all that He has declared Himself to be.
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Holy and merciful Father, Pass by us again—not that we may be impressed, but that we may be changed. Teach us to love Your mercy without despising Your holiness. Guard us from softening what You have spoken and from hardening what You have made tender. Hide us in Christ, our Rock, and let Your glory humble us until pride falls silent. Make us a people who proclaim You as You are—gracious and just, forgiving and holy. In the name of Jesus, Amen.
BDD
